FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Jeff Batstone ~ 508.997.1805
July 21, 2005

MORRISSEY ANNOUNCES ISSUES STEERING COMMITTEE
Leaders from business, government, education, neighborhoods bring experienced, diverse perspectives to campaign for a better New Bedford.

Mayoral candidate Matt Morrissey last night announced the creation of an issues steering committee – including a former mayor, one of the city’s top business leaders, an innovative union organizer, and several neighborhood activists – that will help him craft innovative solutions to the challenges confronting New Bedford and identify new opportunities for cultural and economic growth.

Morrissey announced the steering committee at a campaign volunteer organizational event that attracted nearly 100 people of diverse ages, neighborhoods, and ethnicities to to the campaign’s Acushnet Avenue headquarters. He also announced the campaign’s first public fundraiser to be held at Davy’s Locker on Thursday, July 28 at 5 p.m.

“We are rapidly assembling a talented, diverse team that will help us develop sound innovative ideas that will move New Bedford forward,’’ Morrissey said. “We need to provide families, young people, seniors and business owners with reason to believe that cultural and economic prosperity is possible in New Bedford so they choose to invest their hearts and minds in the future of our community. Nobody has a monopoly on good ideas.”

For the past two months Morrissey has been walking the city and talking to diverse groups of people about quality education, safe streets and real job creation; and over this period has been convening working groups of people knowledgeable about those issues. The steering committee has been asked to provide feedback on concepts already developed, ideas recently submitted and those yet to come.

Morrissey also called on citizens across the community to visit the campaign web site at www.mattfornewbedford.com and offer their own ideas about public safety, real job creation, and education. The Steering Committee will review every idea offered, along with the many already flowing into campaign headquarters, and help Morrissey kick start a comprehensive strategic planning process with the citizens of New Bedford beginning in the earliest days of 2006.

“We have waited eight years for a real plan for New Bedford,’’ Morrissey said. “We will deliver it within the first 120 days of taking office.’’

The steering committee includes:

Tony Sapienza
Exec. VP, Joseph Abboud Clothing; 6-year New Bedford Workforce Investment Board chairman

Bruce Rose
Assistant Provost, UMass Dartmouth, Second Vice President NAACP, New Bedford Resident

Keri Goldman
Financial Director, Medium Studios, New Bedford Resident

George W. Saulnier
Designer/Craftsman Nous Design Studios, New Bedford Resident

Carolina Africano
Attorney, New Center for Legal Advocacy in New Bedford

Carol Pimentel
Director of Internal Audit and Administrative Services, UMass Dartmouth; former New Bedford City Auditor, New Bedford Resident

Robert Bowen
Professor of Environmental, Earth and Ocean Sciences, New Bedford Resident

Peter Derouen
Director of Political and Legislative Affairs, United Food and Commercial Workers Union, AFL-CIO

Richard Quinton
Teacher, Greater New Bedford vocational high school, New Bedford Resident

Guillermo Gonzalez
Psychiatrist, former Vice Chair, New Bedford City Human Relations Commission, New Bedford Resident

Carolee Matsumoto
Education Development Center, Inc., New Bedford Resident 

John Bullard
President, Sea Education Association; former 3-term mayor, New Bedford Resident

John Vasconcellos
Development Director, Coalition for Buzzards Bay; Co-Founder New Bedford Acts, New Bedford Resident

Mark Hess
Senior Project Manager, Hall Keen Development, New Bedford Resident